Opinions on horse?

I also see a very worried, tense baby and that grackle/ bit combination would worry me in a pony this young. Hes very green and needs to fill out. Pretty colour but personally not keen. Would pay £800 ish maybe
 
_HP_ said:
Funny how we all see different things :)
I see quite a worried little horse...
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Me too, nice though, although my 13 year old daughter just leant over my shoulder, while I watching the vid, and the first thing she said was "looks a bit lame"
 
Auslander said:
Why do you think he needs restarting? He's being very nicely ridden by someone who is clearly accustomed to just-backed babies - i'd say he'd had pretty good start already!
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Apart from the fact he's in a bubble bit/dutch gag, and a grackle :/

Having said that I really like him, looks like he'll be a nice type with some work :)
 
Thanks for all the comments guys! So nice to hear lots of peoples opinions.

I totally get what people mean about him looking abit unsound. I've watched so many with intention of buying that I keep thinking I see lameness just through being paranoid - haha.

Very very interesting that opinions are so varied in that some things he's nicely started and calm, quiet looking and some think rider is expecting pony to go/go up at any moment. I'm not 100% sure what I think of him at the minute but I've seen a couple nearby I like the look of, so may drop in to look at him whilst I'm in the area, if I do go to see the others.
 
I read all the posts before I could get the video to work, so it is interesting to see what different people think. Here's my opinion for what its worth.
Nice young horse , but does look lame when trotting.
Rider seemed to be sympathetic and light so I'd be wondering why a youngster would need a dutch gag and a grackle. My youngsters were broken in with fulmer snaffle bits, cavesson noseband and breastplate to hold on to, purely for my benefit.
Wouldn't worry about the horse being ridden in a field with a loose horse, not everyone can have a school and have to ride in the field. I do it all the time and the horses don't bat an eyelid.
Don't think the horse has seen much traffic so would need confident rider with bigger vehicles I would guess.
I would say price wise £800 to £1000 but would get it vetted and when home would definitely start with the basics just as if horse had been broken and turned away.
If you have the time and money he may be the ideal project if there are no lameness issues.
 
Broke_But_Happy said:
Apart from the fact he's in a bubble bit/dutch gag, and a grackle :/

Having said that I really like him, looks like he'll be a nice type with some work :)
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Doesn't matter what's in his mouth - if the hands at the other end of the reins are good. If he's on a dealing yard, they probably use the same bridle on several horses. It's not ideal, but as long as the horse isn't bring pulled around, it's no reason to think the horse needs restarting!

He's a green broke baby, probably fresh off the boat, and I'm another who would be having him carefully vetted. Yes - he looks a little bit wild eyed and tense - he looks like a naturally busy sort, who has probably seen quite a lot of change in a short time. It looks to me like he's handled it pretty well considering.

I know nothing though...
 
What a pretty pony! shame that he is lame on the left- I suspect footsore nothing sinister hopefully. He also looks anxious and very very tense in his neck and head. He looks like he wants to go up or get shot of his rider but is terrified of maybe getting a whack? huge schooling whip. I feel so sorry for this lovely boy I am sure with proper training and when he fills out he will be gorgeous.
 
Lovely looking pony, but looks more like a 3yo than a 5yo. Really like the riding, though felt the rider was a tad tall, which may not have helped the pony to balance.

Definitely not 100% sound though.

I would go to see (have been to see something on less!)
 
hihosilver said:
He looks like he wants to go up or get shot of his rider but is terrified of maybe getting a whack? huge schooling whip. I feel so sorry for this lovely boy I am sure with proper training and when he fills out he will be gorgeous.
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I didn't see him wanting to go up at all. He has a high head carriage because of the gag in his mouth, that's all.

It's not fair to comment on the schooling whip. Lots of people use them; it doesn't mean we all go around beating our horses because of it.

Why do you feel sorry for him? The rider is nice as far as we can see and he's quiet on his back.
 
He's smashing. I too was a little concerned about soundness- but agree it could be lack of balance on the turns. I'd also want to have a good look at his hocks.

He doesn't look in any way in need of re-starting.

And I'd pay upwards of about £2k for him (subject to a 5 stage vetting).
 
All I will say he rode what looked like a horse not long off the lunge really nicely. I would be happy for him to get on my youngster tomorrow when I hopefully get off the lunge line and around the arena.
I did think pony looked lame but could be just that it is so young nearer 3 than 5 and probably only ridden free a very few times
 
JFTD said:
We'll have to agree to disagree then, as I wouldn't say this guy has done a bad job on the face of things, and if the horse is being sold as basic training established, I'd say he's done his job fully and just fine. If he's selling it as a BD ready competition pony, yep, half a job done, but somehow I doubt that...
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If you read my post back you will see I said the rider looks ok, but the horse is no further on than basic sit on training. I wasn't implying he had done a bad job, just that he hasn't really done a job at all from what I can see, other than perhaps backing and sitting on it/riding away. That's why I would be surprised if they could get offended by someone wanting to restart - because it's barely past that point anyway. If he had taken it a lot further on, and someone wanted to restart then yes, I could see how someone may get pee'd off.

Hihosilver, what an odd post - not quite sure why you would feel sorry for the horse, it's hardly on it's knees. Also, IMO there's absolutely nothing wrong with riding any horse with a schooling whip. It's how it's used that matters. This rider is quite sympathetic and quiet in style (though of course that may not be the case behind the scenes, who knows).

I do wonder why the gag and grackle, but then it does seem to be the 'fashionable' thing these days unfortunately. :-(
 
hobo said:
All I will say he rode what looked like a horse not long off the lunge really nicely. I would be happy for him to get on my youngster tomorrow when I hopefully get off the lunge line and around the arena.
I did think pony looked lame but could be just that it is so young nearer 3 than 5 and probably only ridden free a very few times
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Agree, it is possible it's the fact it is very unbalanced and under developed that it looks unsound, but would be very wary as it seemed quite pronounced at some points.
 
I like him :-)

He does look a smart, forward thinking pony ridden sympathetically.

I wouldn't say he needs re-backing per se, but I can quite understand why a new owner would want to start with a period of starting off quietly walking in-hand with a bridle/roller on, then lunging/long lining before introducing a saddle & rider. With a green horse, in a new environment it would quite make sense. I'm not sure i would actively say I was going to re-start him, I think I'd just say I was quietly letting him settle in.

If he's a native or cob x I can quite believe he's 5. My NF looked similar at 5, as they are late to physically mature & he didn't start to look like a 'proper grown up' pony until he had filled out last year at 7.

Essentially, if I was looking, I'd look at this one & easily offer around £1,500 if not a bit more, subject to vetting. I think there is a lot to like.
 
I think it's very easy to be attracted by his colouring, but he'll be white in a year or three. Imagining him white, he's long and very weak in the back and if he is five he looks very, very immature to me. He could turn out lovely, but at the moment it's really quite hard to know.
 
cptrayes said:
I think it's very easy to be attracted by his colouring, but he'll be white in a year or three. Imagining him white, he's long and very weak in the back and if he is five he looks very, very immature to me. He could turn out lovely, but at the moment it's really quite hard to know.
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I agree. I don't see anything attractive there at all.
 
Again, thanks so much guys :)

If you know of anything 14.2 - 15.3hh that's 4 - 7 years old and under £2500, i'd be interested in having a look! Having a hard time finding nice sorts in this price range that aren't miles away from Hertfordshire :(
 
I think he's a nice enough horse and I thought the riding was actually pretty good and appropriate, but I agree take away his colour and he's not so special, and that he is a bit immature. I also don't think he looked overly willing being ridden but that's fine as he's not long backed

Its not a Dutch gag as far as I can tell, it's one of those with one ring below that I forget the name of. I should think it's just dealers having a random selection of bits and bridles and that is what he ended up in. Don't know if people would comment on that so much if he just had a flash on?

I think they'd get 1000 easily, probably 1200 even

Eta apparently people do call those Dutch gags, I would say a 3 ring is a Dutch gag and this I would know as a two ring gag or a universal... I digress :-)
 
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FlyingCircus said:
Again, thanks so much guys :)

If you know of anything 14.2 - 15.3hh that's 4 - 7 years old and under £2500, i'd be interested in having a look! Having a hard time finding nice sorts in this price range that aren't miles away from Hertfordshire :(
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You have a reasonable budget, certainly enough to do better than that one, there must be something that fits your criteria, as you are happy to take on something green why not look at 3 year olds ready to start you may find a gem.
 
FlyingCircus said:
Again, thanks so much guys :)

If you know of anything 14.2 - 15.3hh that's 4 - 7 years old and under £2500, i'd be interested in having a look! Having a hard time finding nice sorts in this price range that aren't miles away from Hertfordshire :(
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I only keep an eye on arabs and PBA's, but there is a potentailly nice PBA gelding on arabianlines called Offshaun Kobi. The area isn't mentioned in the ad.

Offshaun_Kobi.jpg


There's also an eyecatching dun Quarab in the mare's section, but she's only 3.
 
I'm not sure what basics you'd taken him back to, as all the buttons he has installed currently are go, slow down and turn. Which are the absolute basics- unless you reback, but to do that you'd need to turn him away to let him move away from the fact he's very recently backed? And even then it'll confuse the poor beggar as it's such a recent backing as is!

He's a really nice type and if he passes the vet would make a brilliant 'spin'- in a year you could triple that price I reckon.
 
Lolo said:
I'm not sure what basics you'd taken him back to, as all the buttons he has installed currently are go, slow down and turn. Which are the absolute basics- unless you reback, but to do that you'd need to turn him away to let him move away from the fact he's very recently backed? And even then it'll confuse the poor beggar as it's such a recent backing as is!

He's a really nice type and if he passes the vet would make a brilliant 'spin'- in a year you could triple that price I reckon.
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I'm really struggling to see the 'nice type' I'm afraid. To me, he's a common headed Xcob ten a penny sort with absolutely nothing striking about him.
 
Lolo said:
I'm not sure what basics you'd taken him back to, as all the buttons he has installed currently are go, slow down and turn. Which are the absolute basics- unless you reback, but to do that you'd need to turn him away to let him move away from the fact he's very recently backed? And even then it'll confuse the poor beggar as it's such a recent backing as is!

He's a really nice type and if he passes the vet would make a brilliant 'spin'- in a year you could triple that price I reckon.
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At the asking price I cannot see him ever being worth triple, that would put him at over £5k next year he would have to be something really special to ever reach that money, if bought for similar money that the dealer probably paid then it may triple in value but I think he is way over priced even if he is described as a bargain.
 
Not lame in my view, just very weak and struggling to maintain rhythm. Looks prone to tucking tail in and rushing forwards, just very green really.
 
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